A liquid facelift is a non-surgical alternative to lift facial tissues and remove wrinkles, to restore or contour features of your face. BOTOX® and various derma fillers and their combinations are most commonly used as injectables. Compared to traditional facelifts, liquid facelifts do not require any sort of incision and recovery time is restricted to one to two days.
Derma Fillers
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved multiple advanced second generation derma fillers that are available today. These derma fillers are chosen depending upon the nature of the liquid facelift and the target area. It is not only important but also necessary to ensure that the correct filler is used, since each individual has unique facial features (also deterioration in collagen and laxity), skin type and above all specific expectations from the procedure.
Liquid Facelift Procedure
Before the actual procedure, your facial and neck anatomy is carefully assessed, followed by an analysis of the facial features. Most importantly, your expectations from the procedure are thoroughly understood. Depending on these factors, the right derma filler is selected which will meet your expectations. Taking into consideration all these factors, markings are made on the face. Advanced injection techniques are used to inject derma fillers right below the dermis (skin) on the markings to obtain the desired results. The procedure usually does not take more than two hours and is undertaken without using an anesthetic. The skill and experience of the doctor administering the injectables plays a vital role in achieving optimal results.
Variations of Liquid Facelifts
Various FDA approved derma fillers that are available and in use today include:
- BOTOX® is one of the most popular derma fillers as well as non-surgical procedures used to alleviate facial features such as wrinkles, crow's feet and frown lines. Experienced doctors are also using BOTOX® for lifting and contouring the face. BOTOX® is a purified protein, which when injected into specific areas, relaxes the facial muscles. This relaxation works on the "depressors" (pull down muscles) allowing the "levators" (pull up muscles) to provide the desired lift in the injected area.
- Radiesse™ is used where the skin is thicker and wrinkles are more pronounced. It works by stimulating the production of new collagen, resulting in increased volume.
- Both JUVEDERM Ultra® and JUVEDERM Plus® are different types of next generation cross-linked hyaluronic acids that are used to treat moderate to severe wrinkles and folds. Perlane® and Restylane® are other derma fillers that are made of hyaluronic acid.
- Sculptra™ is mainly used to treat the loss of fat beneath the skin working as a tissue volumizer.
- ArteFill® is the only filler that is not absorbed by the body, and the first derma filler that provides a permanent solution for correcting wrinkles.
Liquid facelifts provide an excellent alternative if you do not wish to spend significant time on recovery, are cost conscious and have reservations against invasive surgical procedures.
